McDowell, James (2012) VELOCITy: Video Enhanced Learning Opportunities in Computing and Information Technology. In: British Educational Research Association Conference, 4-6 September 2012, University of Manchester, UK.
Abstract

Much of the work exploring video-enhanced alternatives to traditional methods employed in teaching and learning has examined the provision of learning materials to scaffold the learning experience; there are case studies which have investigated the use of instructional tutorial videos, and more recently emerging pockets of work have explored the use of video to present learners with generic feedback in response to summative assessment.

While integrated approaches with the potential to inform the development of video-based strategies currently remain under-represented in the literature, the award-winning VELOCITy strategy interweaves three strands of video-based activity to form a coordinated, holistic approach to the integration of video technologies within an overarching framework.

This paper presents findings from doctoral research underpinning the development of the VELOCITy strategy, exploring how asynchronous video technologies were leveraged to enhance learner engagement on an undergraduate course in the Informatics department of a UK HEI, and examining how key elements from these video-enhanced learning opportunities combined to form an integrated pedagogic strategy.

A design-based research methodology, incorporating aspects of Mayer’s Multimedia Theory of Learning and Laurillard’s Conversational Framework, provided the backdrop for an integrated series of projects in which learners engaged with video-technologies.

Three phases of video-based activities saw the learning experience first scaffolded by a series of instructional tutorials embedded within an e-portfolio system, and then supported and nurtured through an approach to the provision of video-based formative feedback situated within a conversational framework. Concurrently, learners documented the development of a portfolio of work using short video-diary entries, reporting on their progress by reflecting on the development of personal and technical competencies as part of the personal development planning process, and culminating in a summative, reflective self-assessment of achievement over an academic year.

A mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis was employed; primarily qualitative data were collected using online surveys, direct and indirect observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and analysis conducted using a combination of thematic coding and direct interpretation. The validity of the findings was further strengthened using methodological triangulation which focused on an analysis of further data derived from online surveys, server logs, the results of the NSS survey, and records of academic achievement.

The findings suggest that VELOCITy promotes deeper learner engagement with the assessment and feedback process, facilitates greater opportunities for reflexive learning, and offers the potential for improved rates of learner satisfaction and retention.

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